For
the last 20
years, backpacking has become a passion. I am a four-season backpacker
and an off-trail navigator. Although
I do take yearly trips to the American West or Southwest, the majority
of my trips are in Michigan and Canada.
My pack weight varies considerably but my base weight is below 18 lb
(8 kg). I am primarily a tarp camper who averages more than 50 nights a
year backpacking in a huge variety of weather conditions including
relentless rain, wet snow and sub-zero temps.Product Information

Initial Impressions
and Product DescriptionThe Chaco Azula
Mid Waterproof Boots arrived in the requested size and color. No
hangtags or other information was included.

Fit

I ordered
the Azulas in a women's size 11 US (42 EU) and they fit perfectly. This
seems to be my normal size lately as my feet like extra length in the
toe box. The boots that I received are in the color of black nubuck
which is much more like a dark charcoal color. They are trimmed with
light gray suede and have both blue lining and blue laces. They are
comfortable so far.

Design and Technical
Features

The Azulas are
a mid-height waterproof boot with combination type-lacing that
consists of loops (10), eyelets (2) and hooks (4). Laces are round and
easily pull through all loops to tighten. The boots are lined with a
waterproof
seam-taped bootie whereas the suede and nubuck that make up the
exterior are reportedly water-resistant only. A small metal
"waterproof" tag lies on the outside of each boot.

The collar area of
each
boot plus the gusseted tongue feature polyester mesh lining. A pull loop is
located on the top back of each heel to facilitate both putting on the
boots as well as removing them. Below the mesh lining, the rest
of the interior of the boot is lined in microfleece-type material.The toe area of
each boot features a rubber toe rand. It is layered
over a narrow suede overlay that extends around the perimeter of each
boot. The heel area also has a rubber cap over this overlay.
Double stitching is common on all the lower perimeter seams with single
stitching on the rest. A decorative pattern of stitching (light gray)
adds to the design element on the sides of the boots.The
LUVSEAT insoles are very
cushioned
with a very deep lug pattern on the bottom of them including much
support in the arch area. The tops of the
insoles are covered with a soft material
that is embossed or textured. The midsoles are made of polyurethane
materials.

The
EcoTread soles
have been designed for high traction with a lug depth of 5 mm
(0.20 in). The soles are made with 25 percent recycled rubber and are
reportedly non-marking. The soles have a smaller overall "footprint"
than other
Chacos I have worn so it will be interesting to see how they handle on
rocky surfaces.Chaco products
are warranted to be free of defects in materials or workmanship for the
life of the product according to the manufacturer. The snow season is
dwindling here. However most trails have lots of snow and ice on them
yet. I have already worn them with MicroSpikes to insure safety on icy
steep
trails but muddy, wet and rocky surfaces are in the immediate future.
My next report will include detail as to how they perform in such
conditions.

During the field test period I have worn the Chaco Azula Boots for two
backpacking trips totaling 12 days and also for dayhiking a couple
times per week. Locations of
all activities were in the state of Michigan and ranged from lakeshore
to boreal forest.
Elevation ranged from above 600 ft (183 m) to almost 2000 ft
(612 m).

The Chaco Azula Boots have
been through quite the ordeal in the last two months. When they arrived
there was still icy trails to contend with. I wore the Azulas with
MicroSpikes for added traction. The combination worked quite
well. The boots were
comfortable from the start during the initial dayhikes. As the spring
weather progressed the temps remained cold but there was plenty of mud.
The traction was great as I didn't slip.

I next put the boots to a test during a four-day backpack. Several of
the days were in the double digits mileage-wise and my feet were
comfortable even though I was wearing a fully-loaded backpack. There
was still mud to contend with and I had no problems with traction. The
last two days the temps soared and my feet were hot in the boots but
that is rather normal for waterproof boots (nothing I can't deal with).

My last trip wearing the boots was an eight-day backpack carrying a
load of approximately 30 lb (13.6 kg) to start. The island that I
traveled
is extremely rocky but the low spots were deep mud due to frequent rain
during the spring. I did slip a few times even though I was careful,
with one episode involving a lichen-covered sloped rock (they are all
over the place as the island is mostly rock). My foot just slid
out in front of me and I ended up on my back side. Another time I was
able to catch myself before ending up on the ground. I attribute those
incidents somewhat to the lugs storing mud on the bottom of the boots.
It really is hard to never slip in such conditions as wet
lichen-covered sloping rocks and wet slippery mud cover the island at
this time of year (I remember one researcher from out west who couldn't
deal with the slippery rocks and had the park service pick her up and
transfer her by boat to her research outpost instead of hiking).

During the
two backpack trips I wore the Azulas with Injinji Toe socks (CoolMax
version) while on the dayhikes I wore assorted types of wool socks. All
worked well inside the boots with no internal slipping.

I am very pleased with the comfort of the Azulas as I had absolutely no
soreness in my feet after 8 continuous days of hiking difficult terrain. The footbeds didn't retain much
moisture and quickly dried when I took my feet out of the boots.

Care and Durability

Initially
until the snow and ice melted the boots stayed clean. Now after weeks
of mucky conditions they are rather dirty. I haven't made the effort
to clean them yet as I just recently returned from the eight-day trip
but I will do so soon.

The water-resistant nubuck leather on the boots does wet out in
appearance (as shown in the second
picture) but there was no water inside except once. However that was
due to
my pants wicking moisture into the top of the boots as I hiked through
very wet vegetation. That was no fault of the boots as they likely
would have stayed dry if not for that.

So far I have put on a couple hundred miles (200 plus mi/322 km) on the
boots in tough condtions and they seem to be a winner. A couple more
months of testing will conclude whether my opinion holds true.Top of pageLong
Term Report:
September 9, 2014

USA Locations and Conditions

During the long term test period I have worn the Chaco Azula Boots for
several more
backpacking trips totaling 10 days and also for dayhiking a couple
times per week. Locations of
all activities were in the states of Michigan and Wyoming and ranged
from lakeshore
to boreal forest to mountains.
Elevation ranged from above 600 ft (183 m) to 11,560 ft (3523 m).

Trip TalkThroughout the long term
period I continued to wear the Chaco Azula Boots for various hikes on
rocky and rooty trails. Some sandy dune areas were also encountered.
These trails are sometimes wet and slippery. I have stayed upright so I
am happy about that. One of the local peaks involved some scrambling
and steepness. The grip held true to the rock. I vary the socks I wear
on dayhikes including
CoolMax toesocks, or wool full-footed socks but all are of a
lightweight thickness.

In addition I did several backpacking trips during this period
with long distances walked each day on the first trip. The first one
involved over 12 miles (19.3 km) the first day and double digits the
next. I was
carrying a load of approximately 21 lb (9.53 kg). My feet felt fine
with no
irritation.

Another trip to Pictured Rocks involved about 19 mi (31.6 km) of hiking
divided about equal distances each day. The weather got hotter on the
second day
and I did pick up some sand in my boots as I walked part of the trip
along several miles of beach rather than use the trail.
It
didn't seem to effect the comfort level so I didn't bother to stop and
shake the sand out of my boots. I also encountered rogue waves when I
wasn't paying attention. The boots got wet on the outside but they
didn't
wet through.The third trip was a short
distance trip with over 6 mi (9.66 km) of
backpacking
and 4 mi (6.44 km) of dayhiking.
It was a birthday trip with luxuries
carried.
The trail conditions were sandy with mucky sections due to torrential
rain the day before the backpack trip started. My feet
remained dry and
therefore happy.

My longest trip of
this period was a four-day backpack in the
Wind River Range in Wyoming. This is way different country than my
other trips as it is very mountainous. However
the trails were mostly very muddy due to an unprecedented amount of
rain and snow prior to the trip. During the trip more rain, sleet and
snow compounded the conditions. I walked through wet areas most of the
time.

During the last day of the trip we encountered high rivers that had
to be crossed without bridges. I decided it would be better to walk
through them with my boots rather than removing them for water shoes.
This gave me more support as well as being less slippery on the river
rocks underneath. One of the rivers was too high to cross so we
bushwhacked upstream quite aways and crawled over huge boulders covered
with lichen. Grip was everything as I did not relish the fact that if I
slipped, I would be in serious trouble. Although my boots were
totally soaked after this, I did hike another 8 mi (12.9 km) with wet
boots with no issues.As a side note this last trip
I carried more weight than my other trips
(29 lb/13.15 kg). This was partially due to carrying a bear canister
plus
carrying a heavier tent and cooking equipment for two people. My feet
felt fine even with the additional weight. The insoles have been
remarkable in that I haven't had to switch them out for aftermarket
ones.

I wore Injinji CoolMax toesocks during all the backpacking trips. They
were a perfect match as I had no issues with my feet.

Total days backpacking during the entire test period were 22 and
total mileage was at least 360 miles (580 km). I feel that these boots
were more than
adequately tested for traction, comfort, durability and waterproofness
to declare them a winner in all areas!

Care and Durability

I cleaned
the boots off after most of the muddy season occurred here In the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan. I
just used
mild
soap and water with a soft brush. They are due for a huge cleaning
again as I just returned from my Winds trip. When the boots become
entirely wet they do take a few days to dry in mid-humidity conditions.

The water-resistant nubuck leather on the boots continues to wet out in
appearance but the insides have stayed dry in normal wet
conditions.

Pros

Comfortable

Waterproof

Lightweight

Top-notch insoles

Cons

Sometimes
too warm
on hot
days likely due to waterproofing, but that is to be expected

Product tested and reviewed in each Formal Test Report has been provided free of charge by the manufacturer to BackpackGearTest.org. Upon completion of the Test Series the writer is permitted to keep the product. Owner Reviews are based on product owned by the reviewer personally unless otherwise noted.